Houston TV talent we lost in 2016

Broadcast journalists rarely stay for the long haul. See which on-air faces we said goodbye to this year.

By Compiled by John-Henry Perera

on March 2, 2016 12:42 PM

Houston TV talent we lost in 2016

Lily Jang

joined KHOU-TV in February 2012 as a morning news anchor. Previously, Jang was a morning news anchor and reporter for Seattle's KCPQ-TV. In 2016, she was moved from her anchor role to a weekday features reporter. Some months later, she announced she would be leaving the station on Dec. 23, 2016. Keep clicking to see other TV talent we've lost in 2016.

Michelle Merhar joined KRIV-TV as a traffic anchor/reporter in July 2010. Previously, Merhar was a reporter and on-air personality for Clear Channel Houston and KTRH-AM. On Dec. 19, 2016, she announced she would be leaving Fox 26 News to become a stay-at-home mom.

Michelle Merharjoined KRIV-TV as a traffic anchor/reporter in July 2010. Previously, Merhar was a reporter and on-air personality for Clear Channel Houston and KTRH-AM. On Dec. 19, 2016,she announced she

joined KRIV-TV as a general assignments reporter in September 2015. Previously, Fakhar was a reporter with Austin's KTBC-TV. Following the revelation of a pro-Trump Facebook post, the Fox Television Stations group fired her, sparking an online war of words on social media.

Scarlett Fakhar joined KRIV-TV as a general assignments reporter...photo-8643201.125916 - |ucfirst

Bob Allen

joined KHOU-TV on April 22, 2013 as a weekday sports anchor. Previously, Allen was a sports director at Houston's KTRK-TV for a little more than 38 years. He disappeared from airwaves in 2016 and hinted that he was "undecided" about returning. On Oct. 19, 2016, he died after a 16-month battle with cancer at the age of 70.

joined KRIV-TV in 1990 as a weekend anchor and producer where she eventually transitioned into a weekday morning reporter role. Previously, Watkins was a reporter for KFDA-TV in Amarillo, Texas. On Sept. 19, 2016, she announced on her Facebook fan page she was parting ways with the station after a 26-year run.

Andrea Watkins joined KRIV-TV in 1990 as a weekend anchor and...photo-10963793.125916 - |ucfirst

Laura Tostenson

joined KHOU-TV in November 2015 as a news reporter. Previously, Tostenson was a multimedia sports journalist for Houston's KIAH-TV. Sometime in September 2016, viewers and media bloggers noticed Channel 11 had scrubbed her name and bio pages off the official website.

Laura Tostenson joined KHOU-TV in November 2015 as a news...photo-10963794.125916 - |ucfirst

Jace Larson

joined KPRC-TV in October 2014 as an investigative reporter. Previously, Larson was an investigative reporter for Denver's KUSA-TV. In August 2016, Larson announced on Twitter he would again be heading back to Denver as an investigative reporter for Channel 7.

Jace Larson joined KPRC-TV in October 2014 as an investigative...photo-10724604.125916 - |ucfirst

Chris Stipes

joined KRIV-TV in October 2006 as a news reporter. Previously, Stipes was a sports anchor and reporter for Austin's KXAN-TV. On July 18, 2016, he announced he was leaving Channel 26 after 10 years of working there. He is currently the assistant director of media relations at the University of Houston.

joined KHOU-TV as a reporter in September 2007. Previously, Reece was a reporter and anchor for Seattle's KOMO-TV. In July 2016, Dallas' WFAA-TV announced they had hired him.

Kevin Reece

joined KHOU-TV as a reporter in September 2007. Previously, Reece was a reporter and anchor for Seattle's KOMO-TV. In July 2016, Dallas' WFAA-TV announced they had hired him.

Photo: File/KHOU-TV

Kevin Reece joined KHOU-TV as a reporter in September 2007....photo-10724603.125916 - |ucfirst

Mario Gomez joined KHOU-TV as a meteorologist sometime in the 1980s. Previously, he was an air weather officer in the U.S. Air Force and worked with the National Weather Service in Denver, Colo. In April 2016, Channel 11 anchor Shern-Min Chow announced Gomez and several others were departing the station. He left at the end of July 2016.

Mario Gomezjoined KHOU-TV as a meteorologist sometime in the 1980s. Previously, he was an air weather officer in the U.S. Air Force and worked with the National Weather Service in Denver, Colo. In April 2016,

Mario Gomez joined KHOU-TV as a meteorologist sometime in the...photo-9896417.125916 - |ucfirst

Simone Eli

joined KPRC-TV as a sports anchor and reporter in July 2014. Previously, Eli was a sports director and anchor for WALA-TV in Mobile, Ala. On May 24, 2016, she announced she was leaving the station at the end of the month and heading back to Alabama, specifically the Birmingham-Tuscaloosa area.

Simone Eli joined KPRC-TV as a sports anchor and reporter in...photo-10133562.125916 - |ucfirst

Doug Miller

joined KHOU-TV as a reporter in 1993. Previously, Miller was the managing editor of the Houston Business Journal. In April 2016, he wrote on Facebook that he had accepted a buyout offer from TEGNA, Channel 11's corporate owners, and would be leaving the station.

joined KHOU-TV as a general assignments reporter in April 2014. Previously, Barr was a reporter with a Meredith Corp. duopoly in Kansas City, Kan. In April 2016, she announced she would be moving to Dallas-Fort Worth's KXAS-TV.

Alice Barr joined KHOU-TV as a general assignments reporter in...photo-6844265.125916 - |ucfirst

Gianna Caserta

joined KPRC-TV as a reporter and fill-in anchor in March 2013. Previously, she was a reporter for WALB-TV in Albany, Ga. In March 2016, she left leaving the station for an anchor position at WLKY-TV in Louisville, Ky.

Gianna Caserta joined KPRC-TV as a reporter and fill-in anchor...photo-9715855.125916 - |ucfirst

Courtney Gilmore

joined KPRC-TV as a feature reporter in October 2007. She eventually became a news reporter in February 2010. Previously, she was a news anchor for HTV Houston Television. On March 12, 2016, Gilmore announced she would be leaving Houston for Dallas' KXAS-TV in an unknown capacity.

Courtney Gilmore joined KPRC-TV as a feature reporter in October...photo-9715812.125916 - |ucfirst

Ruben Galvan

joined KPRC-TV as a morning entertainment and features reporter in August 2013. Previously, he was doing the same thing at San Diego's XETV. In March 2016, Galvan announced he was leaving the station, returning to California and "taking a break."

joined KRIV-TV as a weekend and weekday meteorologist in March 2015. Previously, she was a meteorologist for a CBS TV affiliate in Tallahassee, Fla. In late February 2016, Day said she was leaving the station for health reasons and to pursue a career in fitness.

joined KHOU-TV in February 2012 as a morning news anchor. Previously, Jang was a morning news anchor and reporter for Seattle's KCPQ-TV. In 2016, she was moved from her anchor role to a weekday features reporter. Some months later, she announced she would be leaving the station on Dec. 23, 2016. Keep clicking to see other TV talent we've lost in 2016.